1. Field
The following description relates to data protection technology, and more particularly, to message hiding and message restoring technology.
2. Discussion of the Background
Developments in the information and communications industry have increased the number of methods of acquiring information available to users. Devices like mobile terminals have become essential communication devices and are used particularly for transmitting messages and receiving messages.
Increasing device usability is accompanied by increasing interest in data protection, which requires a user environment that is highly usable and more intuitive. That is, increasing usability is accompanied by an increasing need for a user environment that is highly convenient and intuitive when displaying messages or managing message lists or messages.
As an example of a message display and management method, if a user wishes to perform an archiving process on a specific message from an outgoing/incoming message list (a first message list) for consolidated management of messages transmitted to and received from a large number of partners, the specific message may be moved from the first message list to a message archiving list (a second message list) to be stored, and eliminated from the first message list.
For example, if the specific message to be archived is selected by the user from the first message list through a hardware button or a software button, a menu screen may pop up, and then the message is eliminated from the first message list if an archiving instruction is input by the user.
Accordingly, it may be difficult for the user to intuitively discern which message is eliminated from the first message list, or where the message is located in the second message list.
In addition, since the archived messages are all stored in a storage box in a list form without distinction between conversation partners, a series of processes of selecting individual messages from the list of the storage box, verifying detailed contents of a message to be retrieved by the user, transmission/reception targets, or the date and time of transmission/reception, and returning to the list have to be repeatedly performed in order to view the detailed contents, the transmission/reception targets, or the date and time of transmission/reception. This repetition may be the result of messages being stored in the message storage box which is integrally managed without distinction between transmission/reception targets, the data, and time of transmission/reception, and the like, if the messages are separately archived.
In addition, when a user wishes to view previously received messages, a considerable amount of time may be required for searching if there is a large history of messages.